


No Force on Earth

by Tarlan



Category: The X-Files
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Movie Fusion, Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2002-05-09
Updated: 2002-05-09
Packaged: 2017-10-19 04:47:08
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 16,456
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/197060
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tarlan/pseuds/Tarlan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>No force on Earth or Heaven would get Dr. Mulder to set foot on Isla Sorna - or so he thought.</p>
            </blockquote>





	No Force on Earth

**Author's Note:**

> Written for The Cube 'Movie' Challenge - January 2002  
> Fusion with Jurassic Park 3

Every seat at the symposium was taken. This should have filled Dr. Fox Mulder with pride but he knew it had little to do with his popularity, or that of his subject matter, and more to do with the incredible events that had led to the writing of his second book. As his lecture went on, he noticed people shifting uncomfortably, with some of the audience sneaking out of their seats and walking away. He gave a wry grin and tried not to let it discourage him as he continued describing his theories on Velociraptors to a fidgety and uninterested audience. He finished his closing spiel to a deafening... silence. The symposium leader stood up and led a smattering of applause, asking if anyone had any questions and it was of no surprise to Mulder to see almost every hand go up.

"Anyone here have a question not related to Jurassic Park?" Most of the hands went down, reluctantly. "Or the incident in San Diego which I had nothing to do with." Only a few hands remained held high, scattered amongst the murmuring audience. "Yes."

Mulder pointed to one person, relieved that his lecture had been of interested to at least one member of the audience. However, his dismay grew when the question came across as more of an accusation, berating him for ignoring the living, breathing dinosaurs on Isla Nubla and Isla Sorna in favor of uncovering fossilized remains in Montana.

"What Ingen created were theme park monsters... nothing more and nothing less."

He knew he could never make them understand that, as close as they were, the dinosaurs of Jurassic Park were still mutations with missing parts of the genetic code filled in from modern day reptiles and amphibians. Who knew what the affects were of including even a single change in its genetic makeup? It could have made massive changes in temperament and natural ability. Even something as simple as the pigmentation of the flesh should be held suspect. The dinosaurs produced by Ingen were flawed, and the truth about the real creatures that lived - and died -millions of years ago, could only be extracted from what little remained of them found in the rocks.

"Are you saying that you wouldn't want to get onto Isla Sorna and study them if you had the chance?"

"No force on Earth or Heaven would get me on that island..."

-ooOOoo-

Mulder slammed the door to the pick-up and stared down to where his protégé, Alex Krycek, was working on the recently uncovered Velociraptor. Alex was kneeling in the dust next to one of the paleontology students, with his slim fingers holding hers, and Mulder felt a pang of jealousy ripple through him. He knew by the slight movement that Alex was merely trying to demonstrate the difference between ordinary rock and the fossilised remains; rough and smooth, rough and smooth. Mulder gave a tight smile as he recalled giving that same demonstration to Alex more than a year back. If he closed his eyes to remove outside stimuli, then he could almost feel the warmth of those strong, nimble fingers clasped within his own, and the heat radiating from the firm young frame as they knelt side-by-side, touching at shoulder and hip.

Mulder shook off the memory and watched as the dark head raised, seeing the bright, welcoming smile appear on the handsome face as Alex called up to him.

"Dr. Mulder!"

Dr. Mulder. What he would give to hear Alex call him just Mulder - or even Fox - in that soft, husky voice of his. Of course, he could take the attitude of many of his modern counterparts and allow his students more familiarity, but Mulder felt there ought to be a formal barrier between student and teacher. He sighed as he raised his hand and called back in perfunctory acknowledgment.

"Mr. Krycek."

In light of his obsession with his green-eyed, handsome protégé, perhaps he'd made a wise decision to keep their relationship on a more formal basis. Mulder had heard of plenty of occasions where teachers had given in to their base desires and taken up with persuasive female students. How much worse would it be if the faculty was to learn he had coerced sexual favors from a young man in his charge?

Alex reached out a hand in greeting, and Mulder almost flinched as he felt those wondrous, dust-softened fingers in his grip once again. The green eyes were shining with a mixture of pleasure and curiosity, the pink lips parted to reveal a hint of white teeth, and long, dark lashes fanned away the dust he had raised while he worked. There was a fine coating of the pale red dust in the mahogany hair, dulling the rich russet highlights streaking through the sun-kissed hair. Mulder wanted to reach out and ruffle the hair to dislodge the dust, wanted to nuzzle the dark strands and breathe in the scent of fresh, clean air - and even that of the fine particles of dust. He knew he was smitten by this young man.

Young man? There was barely six years between them, but Mulder knew he had to keep up this illusion as a defense.

"How did it go?"

They walked together towards the camp and Mulder grimaced in remembrance of the silence that had accompanied his Grant Request. He knew he ought to have pandered to the morbid fascination of the audience and presented them with Technicolor descriptions of what he had seen on Isla Nubla. But the truth of it was that, even after three years, he still had nightmares of that frantic fight for survival - though they came more rarely these days. He would hear the strange calls of the Velociraptors, see their cold eyes sizing him up for the kill, and hear the click of their razor sharp claws on the modern flooring of the Ingen base. Even the magnificent, but slow-witted Tyrannosaurus Rex could not compete with the quick, cold-blooded Raptor with its keen, predator intelligence. He hid his fearful memories behind dry humor as he focused on Alex's question.

"Not too late to change your major."

Four weeks. They had funding left for only four more weeks and then they would have to pack up all the equipment and leave.

"Three weeks. I had to rent some equipment. Want to show you something."

Mulder could feel the eagerness in the man beside him as Alex tugged on his sleeve and drew him to one of the tents. They entered, but Mulder stood well away from the electronic equipment that was mapping the head of the uncovered Velociraptor, well aware that there was something about him that seemed to fry electronics. He watched in fascination as the machine finish working, and then in amazement as Alex drew out the item it had manufactured by taking slices through the fossilized Velociraptor skull. Alex held the item proudly; his green eyes shining once more in triumph.

"The resonating chamber of a Velociraptor."

He placed it against his lips and blew... and the sound chilled Mulder to the core of his being as terrible memories assailed him once more. He turned and, trying not to look like he was about to bolt in panic, Mulder stepped outside the tent - and straight into a man he had never seen before. He stepped around the man and tried to walk away but the man called to him.

"Dr. Mulder? Walter Skinner... Skinner Enterprises. I have a proposition for you. Perhaps we could discuss it over a meal... at my expense, of course"

"I'm tired. Maybe some other time--"

"We'd love to."

Mulder looked over Skinner's broad shoulders to where Alex was framed in the tent opening. Alex's face held a blank expression and Mulder gave a half smile, realizing that, whatever Skinner wanted to discuss had already been broached with his protégé. He gave a tight nod of agreement, waited for Skinner to leave and then looked back at Alex. However, Alex was already half way down the slope to where the Velociraptor still awaited full exposure, but Mulder had a feeling he would gain no straight answers from Alex so it was not worth pursuing him. He would have to wait and hear the proposition from Skinner.

-ooOOoo-

They drove almost an hour in silence to the closest bar and Mulder greeted several of the regular customers as well as the bartender as he walked through with Alex close on his heels. They slid into a seat opposite Skinner and a petite, red-headed woman.

"My wife, Dana Scully."

As he listened to their brief description of incredible things they had done together; climbing K2, paddling the Amazon, and even Ms. Scully's declaration of having two pre-booked tickets for the first commercial flight to the moon, Mulder felt a tightening in his chest. He knew what was coming and his words from the symposium came back into his head... 'No force on Earth or Heaven would get me on that island.'

"We've chartered a plane to fly over Isla Sorna - and we want you to be our guide."

"First of all, no one has permission to go within five miles of that island--"

"I have dealings with the Costa Rican government, and you'd be amazed by what they are prepared to do to keep me happy." Skinner's dark eyes filled with a pure business look that was so reminiscent of the calculating look of a Velociraptor. He withdrew a check book and started to write out Mulder's name. "I can put all sorts of numbers on here."

Mulder looked across at Alex and saw the eagerness in the pleading eyes reflecting back at him. He had already blown their chances of gaining funding for the dig once today, through having too much pride.

No force on Earth or Heaven would get me on that island.

His words from the symposium mocked him but then Mulder rethought them. What could it harm him to agree to act as a guide from the safety of an airplane? Especially if that meant he could keep Alex by his side for a little longer.

-ooOOoo-

Mulder grinned at the excitement evident in Alex's expressive face and watched as the younger man swept back strands of dark hair as he busily readied his bag. He eyed the battered bag and shook his head.

"Even with what I pay you, couldn't you afford a better bag?"

"No way. Lucky bag."

He listened as Alex described a near fatal hang gliding holiday in New Zealand, and how the bag had snared on a rock after he was hit by a sudden updraft, thereby saving him from a long drop to the rocky valley floor. Mulder felt his heart race for a moment, realizing how easily he might never have met this mercurial younger man and feeling a little reverence for the old and worn bag that had saved Alex's life. Alex stopped, and he looked up from beneath the bangs of dark hair and those sinfully long lashes and spoke in a low, husky voice that sent shivers of pleasure racing along Mulder's spine.

"Wanna thank you for bringing me along."

"Yeah, well, the bones will still be there when we get back. That's the good thing about bones, they don't run away." Mulder covered his embarrassment quickly, not wanting to reveal that more carnal thoughts had governed his decision to insist on Alex coming along with them.

"Truth is, you got me into this... and I have no intention of being on my own with these people." He treated Alex to a wide grin. "Now it's your turn to make nice with the tourists."

He leaned back in the surprisingly comfortable, reclining seat within the sleek and fast chartered plane; letting Alex's soft chuckle ripple over him as he sought much needed sleep.

Mulder had no idea how long he slept but he opened bleary eyes and then sat up sharply when he realised the plane was empty. Even the pilot and co-pilot had disappeared. A sound came from his left; a low resonating sound that brought terror in its wake and he turned his head slowly to see the cold-eyed Velociraptor watching him from across the narrow aisle. It opened its mouth to reveal a row of sharp teeth... and words fell from it.

Mulder awoke with a start and his frantically pumping heart began to slow as the nightmare slowly dissipated. His last nightmare had been months ago and, intellectually, he knew why it had come back to him now, but that did little to ease the fear that was still singing through his veins.

"We're nearly there... are you okay?"

"Yeah, Alex." He gave a small smile of reassurance and checked out the port; dismayed to see the land so close below them. They passed over a ridge and flew parallel to a large open plain - and Mulder felt the breath hitch in his chest.

"My God, I'd forgotten."

Graceful Brachiosaurus ambled slowly across the plain in a herd; their long necks arching to snatch at vegetation. Smaller herbivores grazed between them; lithe, darting Corythosaurs, lumbering Pinacosaurs with their bony, club at the end of their powerful tails and Triceratops, the rhinos of the dinosaur world. Mulder glanced at Alex who had his face plastered up against the glass, with his hands splayed like a small child looking into the window of Macey's at Christmas. Alex cast a look over his shoulder, with his face alight with joy, and Mulder found himself grinning back.

"Can you see anything?"

Scully's words struck Mulder as odd but they served to remind him of why they had brought him along. He cleared his throat and called to the strange couple, commenting on the Brachiosaurus and the large male standing guard over the herd of predominantly females with their young. However, no one paid him any attention and Mulder looked over in confusion as Skinner's bald head tilted to another angle.

"But there right there, you can't miss--"

"There's a landing strip ahead. You want me to settle down?"

"No. I want to circle the island first."

"Settle down? You can't land here."

Mulder leaped from his seat and raced towards the cockpit but his way was barred by Skinner who raised his hands in a placating gesture, but nothing would deter Mulder.

"You cannot land here. Alex! Tell them they...

The words from the symposium mocked him anew as an explosion of pain radiated from the back of his head, and the world grew dark around him.

No force on Earth or Heaven would get me on that island.

-ooOOoo-

Alex dabbed a dampened handkerchief against Mulder's forehead and tried to ignore the sounds from outside the plane. He could hear Scully calling out two names, over and over; sometimes Ben but mostly Eric. All the others had left the plane too, with Cardinal geared up for a venture into the jungle while Nash and Jeff Spender hung about just outside the door.

After Cardinal had knocked Mulder unconscious with the butt of his gun, Alex had leaped to his feet but they had threatened him with similar damage unless he calmed down. With great reluctance, he had clenched his fists until the flesh was white across the knuckles and then lifted Mulder back onto a seat. Both Skinner and his wife had seemed apologetic but neither would answer any of his questions so he let them get on with what they felt they had to do while he tended to Mulder's injury.

They had circled the island twice more before coming into land on the surprisingly clear runway. Mulder had started to moan fitfully as the airplane bumped to a halt and Alex had decided to stay with him, knowing he would awaken imminently. Sure enough, green and gold eyes fluttered open and quickly focused on Alex.

"Alex? Tell me we didn't land."

Alex could only tighten his lips, unable to deny the truth even though he would have liked nothing better than to see relief replace the pain and fear in Mulder's eyes. He nodded his head once and indicated to the outside where he could still hear Dana Scully calling out through the loud hailer. Alex assisted Mulder to his feet and then followed him out of the plane onto the tarmac, raising his hand to shade his eyes from the bright sun as he stared off into the seemingly harmless jungle that edged the runway. Skinner was standing close by while Scully stood at the edge of the runway strip, calling the names into the dense undergrowth beyond.

Mulder strode straight to Skinner, his eyes constantly flicking along the edge of jungle, narrowing when he spotted Cardinal, who was more than two hundred meters ahead of the plane, slipping into the jungle.

"Where's he going?"

"To secure the perimeter."

Mulder bark out a laugh that held an edge of hysteria, but then Dana Scully called out again on the loud hailer, drawing his attention to her.

"Tell your wife to stop making that noise. It's a very, very bad idea."

Skinner turned and yelled out. "Dana. Dr. Mulder thinks it's a bad idea calling out--"

"What?" She had turned and yelled out her annoyance through the loud hailer directly at them, and Alex flinched at the deafening sound.

"Dr. Mulder thinks it's a bad idea."

"Why?"

Her question was answered by the roar of what had to be a massive creature. Alex froze as icy fingers of fear danced along his spine.

"Everybody back on the plane."

He needed no second command, running quickly back to the plane and leaping inside. Nash and his employer, Jeff Spender, raced through the plane and buckled themselves into the pilot and co-pilot seats. Alex could see Nash frantically starting the ignition and was grateful the plane was no unreliable rust-bucket for the engines caught immediately and the plane began to move.

"What about Cardinal?"

"Mr. Cardinal is a professional. He can take care of himself."

The plane picked up speed and Alex felt horror fill him when Cardinal race onto the runway hundreds of meters ahead of them. One arm hung limp and bloodied at his side while the other waved frantically. Alex could hear Nash calling vainly through the cockpit.

"Get out of the way, Cardinal. You know I can't stop in time".

Alex's eyes widened in fear and awe as a massive, dark shape loomed out of the jungle and snatched up Cardinal between powerful, serrated jaws. The plane struck the spined sail on the back of the huge predator, tilting out of control and heading back down into the trees. Alex braced himself as best he could as they struck hard, hearing metal scream as wings and tail were torn away - and then there was silence as they came to an abrupt halt. Mulder was the first to leave his seat. He went to the door and shoved against it, looking out for a moment before turning back and uttering in a dry monotone.

"We haven't landed yet."

"Who has the satellite phone?"

Skinner grabbed it from his briefcase and took it forward to Nash and Spender, then he came back, his strong jaw twitching in the aftermath of shock, his dark eyes refusing to meet either Alex's or Mulder's. A clunk of something big against metal had Alex snapping upright, eyes darting to the side of the fuselage.

"What was that?"

Suddenly, a long snout - filled with large, wickedly sharp teeth - came into view beyond the cockpit window. The head lowered until they were looking directly into the blood lust eyes of a super-predator. A harsh ripping filled the air as the front of the plane was torn away leaving the two men up front vulnerable to the hungry creature. Nash and Spender began to rip at the buckles holding them into place, with Spender freeing himself only seconds before and racing down the craft away from the terrifying creature. The predator snapped forward, teeth closing around the lower half of Nash's body and tearing him from the plane. Through a side window, Alex found his horror-filled eyes following Nash's falling body, watching as he tried to crawl away after hitting the soft ground maybe twenty below them. The predator stamped down on him, pinning him to the ground and then, almost casually, tore him in half with those sharp teeth. In a panic, the others raced to the back of the plane and Alex could only gasp in renewed horror as the fuselage began to move, sliding backwards. The seat back saved him from bad injury as screeching metal was concertina'ed as it struck the ground.

It fell sideways and lay still for a moment, and then, suddenly, they were rolling as the predator tried to find its way inside to grab more of the succulent morsels that it had decided to snack upon. Its hard snout punched through the fuselage, and Scully ran out. Alex held his breath when Mulder chased after her, and only let it go once he had brought her back inside before the fast-moving predator reached them. It went back to the hole it had made, trying to reach them, and while it was occupied, Mulder made the decision for them all and ordered them to run for the denser trees where the predator would be hampered by its massive form.

Alex ran hard and fast, his lungs almost bursting from the ill treatment, heedless of what he might be running headlong into. Finally, they came to a halt and he gasped, unable to do more that take shallow breaths into his abused lungs. His heart was racing and his muscles quivering from the adrenaline rush but, quickly, he regained control of both. Alex looked over to where Mulder was bringing his flight instincts to rest and they exchanged a look, seeing the fear reflecting between them but also the joy that they were both still alive. In that unguarded moment, Mulder revealed the depth of his affection for him, and Alex had to choke back a laugh.

How often had he made moves on Mulder only to see them come to nothing? So many times he had been certain that, this time, Mulder would reach for him only to see Mulder draw back into that defensive shell. He could understand Mulder's reluctance to get too involved with the students he taught but Alex was more than a pupil, more than Mulder's protégé. The same rules of fraternization did not apply and still Mulder kept his distance. If Alex had not been so sure that Mulder had a sexual preference for other men, then he might have accepted that Mulder was not interested in him. However, campus gossip was not always unreliable.

Alex had already decided that, if the funding did run out on the dig then he would waste no more time and tell Mulder what he wanted. Him. All of him - both in and out of his bed. He bowed his head, shaking it slowly, knowing that the opportunity might never arise now, and that they would be lucky if one of them survived, let alone both of them.

The fleeting desire disappeared as Mulder brought his emotions under control along with his breathing.

"I think we lost him." Mulder pushed back the vegetation in front of him and took a step back as it revealed the half-eaten carcass of a dinosaur. He sighed, closing his eyes for a second. "It's okay. It's dead."

A massive head rose from just beyond the carcass - with strips of torn flesh hanging raggedly from sharp teeth. It was a Tyrannosaurus Rex and Alex fancied he could see it smacking its lips together in appreciation as it eyed them greedily.

"Nobody... move... a muscle."

Alex heard the words but his shocked brain just couldn't seem to grasp their meaning. From the corner of his eye he saw Spender, Skinner and Scully start running, and his own legs seemed to follow without his volition. Part of him registered Mulder running hard just behind him, and some inane part of him praised the fact that they both enjoyed working out though Mulder preferred jogging in the open to the treadmills at the campus gymnasium. They ran into a small clearing in the jungle, and froze dead center, looking up at the dark-fleshed, long-snouted, razor-teethed creature waiting for them at the far edge. The Tyrannosaurus came up behind but, suddenly, their small mouthfuls of meat were no longer of interest as the two creatures confronted each other.

Alex lost Mulder during the fight when Mulder fell between battered down tree trunks. With awe Alex watched from the edge of the clearing as the two creatures tore into each other. Although fairly well matched in size, the long-snouted predator possessed more powerful front arms and claws that it used to gain a better hold on the Tyrannosaurus. Mulder raced out from between the downed trees as the Tyrannosaurus fell; the massive head crashing down where he had been only split seconds before.

They carried on running, even though they knew they no longer interested the dinosaur now it had found a far more substantial meal. All Alex knew was that he wanted to put as much distance between himself and that super-predator as possible. He glanced across in relief when he felt Mulder's hand touch his arm, pulling them both to a halt, seeing reassurance in the hazel eyes that they had run far enough from the dinosaur and its gruesome meal.

-ooOOoo-

Mulder punched Skinner hard on the jaw, and although the other man was big enough to fight back, he made no attempt, and Scully ran between them and begged them to stop and listen to an explanation. Mulder pushed aside his anger as Skinner started to explain, his eyes going wide as the story unfolded. He looked at the wallet picture of a boy, seeing the resemblance to both of the people standing before, before passing it back to Alex.

"All right, so why me?"

"He said we needed someone who had been on the island before--"

"I have *never* been on this island."

"Sure you have. You wrote that book."

Mulder turned as Alex answered for Mulder with disbelief coloring his voice.

"That was Isla Nubla, this is Isla Sorna. Site B."

Eight weeks. The boy had been missing eight weeks - on an island where some people had not lasted eight minutes. Jeff Spender came forward, apologizing to Mulder that he had no known Skinner had brought him here under false pretenses. Mulder sighed. It was too late now for recriminations and fighting. They were here and, unless they worked together, they would be dead in no time.

Mulder chewed on his lower lip as he took in the bedraggled and bloodied appearance of his protégé. He decided, there and then, that if he could undo one thing in his life then it would be his decision to bring Alex along on this 'guided tour'. He thought of Alex only two days previously, dusty head bowed over, eyes intently focused as he scraped away millions of years of rock to reach the fossilized remains of one of the most terrifying predators that had ever stalked the Earth. Alex should have been thousands of miles away - safe. Now, he - and the others - would be extremely lucky if any of them managed to survive the living embodiment of the Velociraptor, and the other blood-thirsty denizens of this island.

"Alex? We'll go to the plane and salvage what we can, then we'll make for the coast."

Alex nodded, and Mulder was grateful the younger man was willing to take his lead in this.

"Dr. Mulder. We're not leaving without our son."

"Then you can go and look for him, or you can stick with us as long as you don't hold us up. Either way, we probably won't get off this island alive."

Mulder headed off back towards the plane with Alex right behind him. Like a pendulum, his feelings were swinging back and forth; fear for Alex governing one moment, then gratitude that he was not alone here filling the next. He had Alex to watch his back, but he also had the additional stress of wanting to watch out for Alex, to protect him at all costs.

He glanced askance at Alex as they started to sift through the wreckage. Alex had recovered his lucky bag and was packing smaller items inside it. He looked up, as if sensing Mulder's scrutiny, smiled reassuringly and walked over to join him. He took out his camera and snapped off a few shots of one massive footprint left behind by the creature that had attacked them and then hunkered down next to Mulder to look more closely at the footprint.

"What would you classify it as, Alex?"

"Well, it's a super-predator. Suchomimus... snout." Alex made a gesture with his hand to the long snout.

"Think bigger."

"Baryonyx."

"Not with that sail... Spinosaurus Aegypticus."

"Now that wasn't on Ingen's list."

"Yeah... and I wonder what else wasn't on that list."

They turned as one and looked across to where Walter Skinner was having trouble putting on his backpack, and then they looked back at each other; hazel eyes meeting soft fern green.

"I think it's time we got the whole truth out of Skinner."

Alex approached slowly, his body moving with the litheness of a hunting cat. He stopped before Skinner and gave him a predator smile, tilting his head slightly to the side as he eyed his prey. The whole effect sent a shiver through Mulder but, rather than being abhorred by it as a reminder of the graceful Velociraptor stalking its prey, Mulder found it strangely erotic.

"Mr. Skinner? When you climbed K2 did you base camp at 25 or 30,000 feet?"

"Erhh... 30,000 feet... pretty close to the top."

"About a thousand feet above it, actually." Alex murmured dryly.

Mulder stepped in and moments later he had the truth. There was no Skinner Enterprises; no connections to the Costa Rican government... there was no money either, not to pay Spender or to fund the dig. He felt a bubble of hysteria forming deep inside but quashed it viciously. Mulder looked at Alex's profile as the younger man shook his head in dismay. It had all been for nothing. Even their pretence of being man and wife was a sham, and the real reason why they had separate surnames was because she had retaken her maiden name after their divorce a year back. Only one thing had brought them back together - their missing son.

Skinner was nothing more than a small businessman, having taken over the family's Bathroom and Tile business. Mulder chuckled. Still, if they survived then maybe he'd get a new bathroom out of this.

As they moved out, heading for the coast, Jeff Spender came alongside Alex, and Mulder could overhear his words.

"If we split up, I'm going with you guys."

He wished he could have as much faith in his abilities as Spender seemed to have, and then he realised that he was, unfortunately, the best chance they had of getting off this island alive - slim though that was. Mulder pushed forward, once more berating himself for bringing Alex into danger. He set a fast pace, wanting to push on as far as they could before nightfall, and hope they found some place safe to spend the night.

As he walked he allowed himself the luxury of one small daydream, that of spending the night sleeping close to Alex, and then he sent his senses back where they belonged, scanning the jungle for signs of danger.

The splash of colour up ahead caught his eye, and then he realised what it was and headed for it. Skinner rushed past with Scully. He recalled Scully mentioning that Ben - her new lover -had chartered a boat to take him and Eric paragliding over the island in the hope of seeing dinosaurs. This had to be where they crash landed. Spender called out and the parents rushed over to where he was scraping mud from an object he had retrieved from the ground. Spender took the batteries out of his torch to power the machine and they all converged around the camcorder, watching the last known scenes of the boy's life played out. Mulder felt sick to his stomach when he realised Eric had not even been granted a swift death but had landed on this island alive and whole. He turned back to the paraglider, staring up at it and a memory resurfaced of something Alex had said in the plane just before they got here.

"Can you fly one of those?"

"Maybe. Long as the sails not torn."

"Well, let's take it. At the very least we could lay it on the ground and use it as a signal."

They began to tug gently on the straps, trying to pull it down from the branches of the tree when, suddenly, something swung out smacking straight into Dana Scully. She screamed; her seemingly unflappable demeanor collapsing as her hands became entangled in the straps, and tying her to the half-eaten corpse of what had to have once been her lover. Eventually she broke free and ran. Mulder sent Skinner after his ex-wife, telling him to bring her back, and then he, Alex and Spender released the remains of Ben from the harness and finished hauling down the sail. They watched as Alex folded the sail back into its pack with the attention of someone who knew the right technique from years of practice.

A shout brought all three heads up but it was not one of fear but of uneasy fascination. Mulder glanced down at Alex and saw the small nod of agreement. Every step away from Alex filled Mulder with dread but he needed to know what had spooked the couple. He paused at the edge of the small clearing, his eyes darting from one nest of eggs to the next; a tightness coiling in his belly as he recognized the shape, coloring and clustering.

"Raptor eggs."

A slight movement drew his eyes upwards and he met Alex's green-eyed stare; a shuddering breath of relief filling him that Alex had caught up quickly. His fear at having left Alex behind - if only for a moment - subsiding as he recalled how swiftly and silently the Velociraptors attacked.

"We've got to get out of here - now."

They raced away quickly and in silence. Mulder glanced over his shoulder as they tore through the undergrowth, and his head reeled in shock. Alex wasn't behind him.

"Where's Alex?"

He started back, remembering Malcolm's description of how the Velociraptors picked off the tail-enders as the men raced for safety across the tall grass. What if they had taken Alex? He almost sobbed in relief when Alex stepped out, and fear harshened his words.

"What're you doing?"

"I was photographing the nest."

Mulder closed his eyes and he let relief wash over him. "Don't do that again."

"Sorry."

"If I lose you then it's just me and the damn tourists."

He had tried to brush off his over-reaction but the look in those wide-spaced, green eyes told him he had failed to conceal the depth of his fear and concern for Alex's well-being. And, in return, he recognized the reciprocal emotions glinting in the green gaze. He turned away, knowing they had no time to discuss this, and definitely no time to linger - not here - not so close to the Raptor's nesting site.

-ooOOoo-

Alex stopped beside the others as they came to the edge of the jungle, and they looked out across an open area to where an abandoned Ingen facility lay in ruins. The almost incongruous sight gave a strange sense of safety - an illusion of protection - so they quickened their pace in order to reach this small sign of civilization.

Once inside, Alex felt a shiver race up his spine, raising the small hairs at the nape of his neck. There was something malevolent about this place. It was too quiet. They wandered through the complex and Alex realised that these had to be the main laboratories where Ingen had created its theme park monsters.

Alex had to withhold a chuckle of amusement when Skinner started checking through his pocket change so he could get candy from the long-abandoned vending machine. It was so like Skinner. Alex sobered, understanding that, for all his faults, Skinner really was a decent sort of man who would never even consider breaking the law or stealing. Alex had no such compunctions though, at least, not here. He kicked at the front of the machine standing alongside the one Skinner was eyeing hungrily, and grabbed handfuls of the contents through the shattered glass, throwing some to Mulder, Scully and Spender. As he walked away, he heard the thump as Skinner threw aside civilized behavior and took what he needed - finally realizing that no one was going to throw him in jail for his theft.

They climbed down a set of stairs, chewing on the candy bars and mesmerized by the equipment that had been abandoned so long ago. Large, fluid-filled containers still held embryos that would never be born, while incubators held the remains of egg shells whose contents had probably been eaten rather than had hatched out. The room had all the feel of a chamber of horrors in a dusty old museum, and Alex felt another cold sensation crawl across his flesh.

He became intrigued when Scully moved closer to one of the large containers, wondering what it was about that particular embryo that held her curiosity. She shrieked and jumped back, and then all hell let loose as something man-sized and aggressive leaped for the woman. Fear sent adrenaline pumping through him and he raced alongside the others through labyrinthine corridors.

"This way."

They followed Skinner through a corridor lined with cells; fear turning to horror when the door at the end refused to budge. Locked. Alex turned, ran a few steps back up the corridor with Scully behind him and then slid to a halt as the Raptor skidded to a stop at the junction ahead. They turned and fled, separating, with Mulder, Skinner and Spender racing into one cell while Alex followed Scully into the one opposite. They tried to slam the door shut but the Raptor reached them first, driving its full body weight against the barred door and forcing it backwards until they were trapped in a triangle of metal bars in the corner of the cage. It tried to rake at them through the bars but the spacing allowed it no access... and then, to Alex's increasing horror, he saw it look upwards. His eyes followed its gaze to the top of the door and the open space above their heads. It started to climb, and with renewed strength brought on by terror, he and Scully shoved back on the door hard, swinging it back and sliding the thick bolt across to jam it in place. It was trapped, but no one was prepared to wait and see if it would find its way out of its predicament. They raced back along the corridor.

Alex reached the junction and stopped, looking back at Mulder who had frozen in place and was staring hard at the stricken creature.

"It's calling for help."

The revelation chilled Alex to the very core of his being. Mulder had theorized that the Raptors possessed a rudimentary intelligence required for hunting in packs, but this went beyond that. And if it was true then it also meant that other Raptors would be converging on the facility. They ran back outside to where the open ground lay before them.

"Into the herd."

Alex ran headlong into the grazing herbivores, stumbling as he was buffeted when the large animals panicked and began to stampede. He fell hard, his lucky bag slipping from his shoulder, and Alex hesitated only momentarily before abandoning it to whatever fate befell it for he could see the dark, man-sized shapes of Raptors dodging between the stampeding dinosaur herd.

"Head for the trees."

Alex raced into the jungle behind Skinner and Scully and saw them head for the nearest tree, quickly climbing into the higher branches where, hopefully, the Raptors would not be able to follow them. Alex ran on blindly but panic heightened senses pulled him to a halt and he ducked back behind a large tree trunk. The Raptor called out and then run off, and Alex climbed swiftly into the safety of the tree and sank down on one thick branch, arms hugging the tree in almost mindless relief. He gave himself a moment to regain his breath and then called out.

"Mr. Skinner?"

"Alex!"

Alex looked in the direction where he judged the voice was coming from, and spotted the husband and wife hugging a tree fairly close by. He looked at the distance between them and realised that, with a little care, he could cover all of it from high above the ground. He slowly made his way towards them, stopping only once to call out the question that was eating away at him.

"Is Mulder with you?"

"No."

Alex felt his heart sink in his chest and he stared out across the jungle floor as if hoping that Mulder would appear, miraculously, from the undergrowth. He pushed aside the grief that was threatening to overwhelm him and pushed on until he reached Skinner and his ex-wife. The pair no longer had the fresh, well-groomed look that they had carried on the plane. Skinner was disheveled, the bald pate of his head marred by globs of blood and his clothes were grimy and torn. Scully have fared no better. Her rich red hair was no longer shiny and immaculate. It was mussed and tangled with one strand matted with her blood. Both of them had cuts and bruises standing livid against pale skin. Alex looked down at himself and realised he looked just as bad. Now that he had stopped to think about it, he could feel the dull ache from his own bruises vying for attention among the sharp sting of numerous cuts and scrapes. He wished they had managed to retrieve a medikit from the downed plane but it had become lost among the twisted wreckage of the fuselage. And no one had wanted to linger in the vicinity of the plane for too long searching for it, just in case the Spinosaurus returned.

A sharp cry of pain filled the air, and Alex froze, his head tilted to zero in on the sound.

"It's Spender."

They walked and crawled along the boughs of the trees until they could see his still form lying at the center of a small clearing. Alex pulled back, feeling the bile rise. Despite appearances, Spender had not seemed to be the mercenary type and Alex's intuition had been proved correct when he overheard him telling Skinner that he was the booking agent rather than a hardened expert in all forms of combat. It had seemed fitting that no one had been what they seemed except for him and maybe the deceased Nash and Cardinal. Skinner was no powerful and rich business magnate, Scully was no longer his wife, Spender was no mercenary, and Mulder was no expert guide with full knowledge of this cursed island. Still, none of them deserved to die here - not like this.

"He's dead."

As if to mock his words, Alex thought he heard a soft moan coming from below, followed by a twitch of one bloodied arm. Scully leaned forward, pushing a long strand of red hair from her battered face.

"No. He's not."

She started to climb down towards him with Skinner following and Alex could not fault their courage but something was wrong with this set up. The Raptors Mulder had described to him one evening in the local bar - so many months ago during one strange evening - had been fast and efficient killers. They would not have left their prey alive. The more he thought about it, relating it to the incident in the facility where the trapped Raptor called for help, the more he came convinced that they needed to be cautious.

"No, no, no. Wait. Something's not right."

As he spoke, Scully slipped, falling several feet but managing to tangle her legs in branches of tough liana. She hung precariously from the branch, head down, and screamed when two Raptors appeared from nowhere and leaped up, with their jaws snapping shut on empty air only inches below her. Between them, Skinner and Alex hauled her back up and the three sat and looked down into the clearing where the Raptors had gone back to stand over the still living Spender. Alex gazed into first Skinner's and then Scully's shock-filled eyes before he murmured what they were all thinking.

"They set a trap. They actually set a trap."

Soon after, both Raptors lifted their heads as if listening to something and then one ran off into the undergrowth. The other looked up into the tree where Alex, Skinner and Scully sat watching, and then it casually and coldly placed Spender's head between its jaw and twisted it sharply, snapping the man's neck. Alex felt part of himself die with Spender, lowering his head to his chest as Scully sobbed her grief into her ex-husband's shoulder. What the creature had done to Spender was a calculated act of malice, proving there was more intelligence behind those cold eyes than even Mulder had previously suspected. What other animal in this world acted like that - except for humans?

A strange stillness filled the jungle around them, as if every creature was holding its breath. Alex recognized the sensation and looked up through the thick canopy of leaves above them. It was a time of transition where day gave way to night. As the last light of his first day on Isla Sorna faded, Alex called out forlornly, hoping against all odds that the man he cared for so deeply would hear him.

Eventually darkness fell, bringing the cries of new predators and prey, and Alex fell silent, not wanting to attract any attention to the three of them. Skinner and Scully huddled together for warmth and comfort while Alex braced his back against the trunk of the tree. He drew up his knees - wrapping his arms around them - and closed his eyes, hoping to find sleep and, just maybe, a few good dreams to ease the emptiness in his soul.

Sleep was a long time coming as he dwelt on all the missed chances, and when he slept, his dreams mocked him with images of intelligent hazel eyes and a warm, affectionate grin.

-ooOOoo-

Mulder huddled down in the darkness of the tanker truck. He could feel the warmth of Eric's small body curled up against him, and wished Eric was Alex. That thought made him feel guilty for, by rights, this boy should have been dead and, after eight weeks alone in this inhospitable place, he deserved a little human comfort - and Mulder owed him his life.

Eric had come out of nowhere and saved Mulder from meeting the reality of his worst nightmare. Three Raptors had appeared out of the jungle, trapping him between them and only the courage of this young boy had saved him. He coughed again, his throat still sore from the smoke he had inhaled but it was a small price to pay for being alive.

He thought about the boy, and the haunted, confused look that had entered his world-weary blue eyes when he realised that only eight weeks had past since that fateful day. Instead of being delighted, Eric had been perturbed to hear that both his parents were on the island, having come here to look for him. Having spent the past day with them, Mulder could understand his reservations. The pair had started out by bickering constantly. However, as their ordeal progressed, they had reached an understanding tapered by the need to work together or die. He hoped they were safe - and that Alex was with them.

"You'd be surprised what people can do when they have to."

He had said it as much to reassure himself as Eric, knowing the boy would believe he was speaking of his estranged parents but, in truth, Mulder was thinking about Alex. He had to believe that Alex had run hard enough and climbed fast enough to reach the safety of the trees before the Raptors caught up with him. He had to believe that Alex would survive the night predators such as the small but vicious and efficient Compsognathus - Compies -that hunted together in large numbers to overwhelm their prey.

One thing was clear though, he was filled with regret for the lost opportunities to know Alex better. He recalled all the times Alex had made subtle passes at him, implicitly telling him that he would be interested in having a deeper relationship, and he considered all the excuses he had made for rebuffing those advances. They all seemed so pointless and, perhaps, even ludicrous now. Yes. Alex was his protégé, but it was not like he was some young kid fresh from his mother's breast who needed to be nurtured and protected. Alex was in his late-twenties; more than adult enough to know what he wanted and why.

Mulder gave a wry grin. The only outcry from the faculty would have been for the homosexual aspect of his relationship. But even that would have been muted as there were one or two others on the staff who had similar inclinations.

In truth, the only person who had made an issue out of a possible relationship was himself. With a clarity brought on by this simple life and death situation, he had finally seen through the camouflage covering his feelings and reached a core of understanding. He had been afraid. He had been afraid of giving everything he was into Alex's hands and then having his heart ripped out when Alex found someone closer in age. That thought made him laugh softly.

Six years.

There was only six years between them and yet Mulder felt positively ancient sometimes. He smiled, ruefully. His eidetic memory was a gift and a curse in equal measure, aiding in his research and yet making him aware of every passing second of his life. Most people recalled their lives in a series of edited highlights but he saw it all, though some memories were brighter and sharper than others. Jurassic Park was one such bright memory. Especially that final moment when the four of them - him, Ellie, and Hammond's two grandchildren - were surrounded by the three Velociraptors, with no hope of survival, waiting for the moment when one would leap forward and slash at him. He still dreamed of that moment; saw his innards spilling to the floor to be snapped up by the hungry predators. The fear of what could have been was greater than that faced.

Eaten alive.

As a paleontologist he had studied more than just bones and rocks. He had also studied animal behavior and he knew that his fears were rooted deep within the human genome; coded there alongside the fight or flight response. Other behaviors were also in there; a parent's ferocity in protecting a child, and the imperative to protect one's mate.

The first was the reason Dana Scully and Walter Skinner were on this island rather than several thousands of miles away grieving their loss. And the second? Maybe that was the reason he was feeling so uptight. Although he had tried to deny it, Alex was the one person in his world that he wanted; the one person he desired above all others. Alex was the mate his soul had decided for him, but it had taken this terrible incident for him to see that clearly.

He wanted to be with Alex right now; protecting him from the horrors of this unnatural throwback to the Jurassic period. Instead, they had been separated and Mulder could not even be sure if Alex was alive or dead at this moment, and he might never find out.

Eventually, Mulder slept fitfully, murmuring Alex's name as his dreams focused on strong memories from the recent past. Images of Alex at the dig; kneeling on the dusty ground with his rich mahogany hair cascading around his face like a living curtain while he worked on the millennia old remains. He dreamed of those bright eyes full of intelligence and pleasure, staring at him in welcome whenever he found time to visit the site. He moaned softly in his sleep as he saw Alex flaunting his lean but powerful physique; stripping off a sweat-soaked T-shirt, pulling off dusty jeans and stepping - almost naked - across the small tent to where the makeshift washing facilities were housed. His surprisingly broad chest held just the lightest smattering of dark hair, but it grew more abundant as Mulder's eyes dropped southwards. Rose-colored nipples would be puckered into small points, almost daring Mulder to lean forward and lap at one. Alex would turn away, revealing the strong, broad back tapering down to lean hips and the gentle curve of his ass. Below, powerful muscles rippled in strong thighs and calves, that tempting ass teasing Mulder as Alex leaned over the basin to splash palmfuls of water over his face and chest.

Mulder's dream self moaned in appreciation; his hands reaching out. In his dream Alex raised his head to stare into the mirror above the basin, and stormy green eyes, alight with lust, would focus on the reflection behind him. And then those eyes clouded with panic, widening with fear, and in the mirror, Mulder saw the vicious reflection of a Velociraptor. The hands that were reaching out to touch Alex dissolved into cruel claws as the creature leaped forward.

Mulder awoke quickly, breathing ragged as the images of his latest nightmare chased him into consciousness. He heard a soft moan of disapproval next to him and focused on the boy still snuggled up beside him.

Alex? Oh God, Alex. Be safe. Please be safe.

When morning came, they left the safety of the tanker, carrying what few supplies they could manage. If Alex was still alive then he - and whoever was still with him - would follow the original plan and head for the coast. Mulder decided they had to do the same. With luck, their paths might cross again.

-ooOOoo-

At the first light of dawn, Alex crept down to within ten feet of the ground. Cautiously, he slid the final few feet and froze, allowing only his eyes to move as they darted in every direction checking for signs of another trap. He knew they had to take a gamble and hope that the Raptors had forgotten them for the time being, so he beckoned to Skinner and his wife to follow. They moved swiftly through the jungle, uttering no sound beyond that which was absolutely necessary. When he felt they had moved a far enough distance from the place where the Raptors had last seen them, Alex called a halt. Skinner chewed his lower lip nervously.

"So, what do we do now?"

"We stick to the plan and head for the coast."

"You're not going to look for Dr. Mulder?"

Scully looked back the way they had come and Alex had to admire her courage at being willing to go back and search for Mulder. It was what he wanted to do but he knew Mulder. He knew the way Mulder thought, and everything he knew told him that Mulder would carry on with the plan in the belief that Alex would do likewise.

"Going to the coast was Mulder's idea. If he's..." The words caught in his throat and he swallowed hard before continuing. "If he's alive... then that's where he's heading."

"I agree." Skinner nodded his head once, strongly, to emphasize his approval of Alex's plan.

"What about Eric?"

Scully's cerulean blue eyes were wide and imploring but Skinner placed a hand on her shoulder in reassurance.

"Eric's a smart kid. He probably knows he stands his best chance by the coast. He figures all the big dinosaurs are in the center of the island. Right, Alex?"

Alex looked at the stocky man, reading the underlying fear in the dark eyes and unsure if Skinner was asking for reassurance for himself or for his wife. It seemed pointless and cruel to tell the truth so Alex lied, knowing full well that the closer they got to the edges of the island, the larger and more dangerous the predators would be.

"Sure."

They walked for over an hour before Skinner stopped abruptly and cocked his head to one side. His dark eyes widened in shock.

"Eric?"

He turned and ran with Scully following. Alex ran on behind them and they burst out from beneath the cover of the jungle into the open grazing land. The large expanse was bisected by an Ingen perimeter fence. Beyond it, Alex could see two figures - one man and one boy - racing towards them. Skinner, Scully and the boy reached the barrier first, thrusting arms through the small apertures of cable netting that filled the gaps between the massive, formerly electrified bars. Alex fought to keep his emotions in check, walking the final few feet at the same steady pace as Mulder approached the fence.

"Boy, am I glad to see you."

He reached out and gripped the warm, wonderfully alive hand that met his own. His eyes darted down Mulder's long-limbed frame, ostensibly checking for injuries but actually wanting to reaffirm this miraculous sight before him - and then he noticed Mulder was carrying his lucky bag.

"Hey, you got my bag."

"Lucky strap."

"Want me to carry it?"

Mulder shrugged, taking several steps back before glancing upwards to the spiked top of the fencing. It was obvious that there was no way they were going to be able to climb over so they needed to find a gap. Skinner and Scully were still hugging their son through the fence but they pulled apart reluctantly. Skinner ruffled the boy's hair.

"How did you find us anyway?"

"The jingle on your satellite phone... Skinner Bath and Tile Center Plus..."

"Satellite phone? I haven't got the phone." Skinner looked bemused and looked to Scully.

"Where did you last see it?" Mulder asked, a frown narrowing his eyes.

"On the plane.. I loaned it to... to Nash."

The jingle came again from very close by and everyone shared a look as they recalled the fate suffered by Nash. They looked behind Mulder, eyes widening as they focused on the huge, dark shape of the Spinosaurus standing barely fifty feet away. Mulder turned slowly and then softly whispered a single word to Eric that reached through the barrier to Alex.

"Run."

In moments the super-predator was bearing down upon them as they raced along the edge of the fencing desperately hoping to find a large enough breach to escape through to the relative safety of the other side. Eric found it first, quickly darting through the gap, and Mulder followed, the Spinosaurus's wickedly sharp teeth snapping shut only a few inches behind him. The reunited group carried on running until they were most of the way across the grazing land, and then they stopped and looked back to where the Spinosaurus was nudging at the massive fence. Eric wrapped his arms around both of his parents once more, gaining a hug in return, and Mulder reached for Alex, hugging him close. Alex sighed raggedly before breathing in the familiar scent of this man he loved.

He took a step back as realization of what he felt swept through him. Had it always been more than just desire? Alex knew the answer was yes. His feelings had been built on a deep abiding respect for both Mulder's intelligence and his abilities in the field of Paleontology. Lust and desire for the handsome, well-formed body had come as part of the package, like a fantastic

extra bundled in when deep respect had turned to love. He lowered his eyes. If only Mulder could feel the same way about him.

The ground beneath them trembled slightly and he looked back up in time to see the Spinosaurus charge the fence. It broke through and, for the second time in as many minutes, they were running for their lives. Ahead lie another of the abandoned Ingen facilities and they raced inside, slamming the heavy doors closed and barring them. The place shook, dust spilling from strained metal girders as the Spinosaurus charged against the door - but it held, and they sighed in relief as the creature finally moved away in defeat.

-ooOOoo-

Mulder walked to the other side of the room that overlooked the ravine. He knew there was a small boat, still afloat, many hundreds of feet below this room. That boat could be used to carry them to the coast along the tributary of the river whose back-flow had carved this ravine over many millennia. He stared out, eyes narrowing, unable to see far enough through a curtain of mist that clung tenaciously to the very rocks in the ravine to know what additional dangers they might be about to face.

"Mulder. You wanna give me the bag back?"

"It's okay, Alex. I got it."

Mulder stared off into the mist, but his thoughts were back in the jungle as he recalled the strange meeting between two of the Raptors. He knew he had to be wrong. He prayed he was wrong, but it almost seemed as if they were conversing, as if they were searching for something. Then later, when the three had surrounded him, they made no instant attack, holding off at a distance as if uncertain if they should...

"Please give me the bag." Mulder turned back. Alex had followed him but he had stopped several feet away, a strange expression on his face that seemed tinged with shame and regret. "It's not safe."

Mulder frowned as he reached for the buckle that held down the opening, and released it. He pulled back the flap and looked down.

"Raptor eggs. Did you steal Raptor eggs?" Mulder raised shocked eyes to Alex. "Now it all makes sense."

Alex looked stricken with remorse, one hand reaching towards Mulder as if begging to be believed.

"I swear. If I'd known you were going to end up with them... I took them on impulse. I thought they'd be worth a fortune... enough to finance the dig for years to come. But you have to believe me. This was a stupid decision but I did it with the best intentions."

Mulder shook his head in disbelief, echoing Alex's words. "Best intentions?" A shocking sense of betrayal came over him and his words turned cold. "Some of the worst things imaginable have been done with the best intentions." Mulder shook his head in disgust. "Alex. As far as I'm concerned, you're no better that the people who built this place."

Mulder walked away, ignoring the grief-stricken face. He went to throw the bag out of the broken window but changed his mind. He looked up to see Skinner standing nearby with an equally disgusted expression on his face as he sent sideways glances at Alex.

"What are you doing? Can you imagine what they'll do if they find those eggs on us?"

"Yes. But what will they do if they don't?"

"Point taken."

"There's a boat at the bottom. Let's head down."

Alex watched through dead eyes as the others walked away without glancing back. His one impulsive act had destroyed everything, taking away any love and respect Mulder might have ever held for him, and without that he had nothing. He closed his eyes. Tears of pain and regret burned behind his eyes but he refused to allow them to fall. Gathering the shreds of his tattered dignity, Alex walked to the spiral staircase and followed the others to the platform below. He raised his eyes momentarily but had to drop them when he met the cold, accusing glare of the man he loved, silently wondering what he could ever do to melt the ice and bring warmth back into those beautiful green and gold eyes.

When the dilapidated staircase collapsed beneath Mulder's weight, almost taking him with it, Alex had started forward but Skinner was there first, drawing Mulder back from the edge. And Alex could only duck his head as new regrets filled him; that he no longer had a right to be the one who would stand behind Mulder. They walked along a catwalk whose walls and ceiling were strong bars and cable netting to form a sort of corridor through this strange Ingen complex. The mesh covering ended abruptly and what remained of the catwalk swayed beneath them. Fearing it might be as unstable as the staircase that had collapsed only moments before, Mulder ordered them to stop.

"Let's do this one at a time, shall we?"

Alex could only watch with dread as Mulder walked out until his form disappeared within the heavy mist. Time stretched on interminably and then Alex sighed silently in relief as Mulder yelled out for the next person to cross. Dana Scully looked anxiously at her son, afraid to let him leave her sight now that she had found him again, her cheeks reddening in embarrassment as Eric berated her gently. Her form was quickly swallowed by the mist but then she called out to Eric. The boy set off across the open catwalk, with his smaller figure shrouded in gray until he had disappeared - and then they felt it. A jolt vibrating through the catwalk, as if something heavy had stepped onto it.

Eric yelled and Alex could feel the tremor of Eric's smaller feet as he ran back towards them reverberating through the metal beneath his feet - and then the tremors stopped abruptly. Alex darted forward, heedless of whether the catwalk could support his weight or not, leaping to try and snatch Eric back from the massive creature flying over his head that had the boy gripped in its powerful claws.

He raced back, trying to keep the Pteranodon in sight, leaping headlong down staircases and along mesh covered walkways. Skinner took a different turn, trying to find another path that might take him to his son and Scully followed her ex-husband. The Pteranodon veered away from the series of walkways, heading out over the ravine and, suddenly, Alex knew what he had to do. He glanced upwards to the platform that acted as a gallery, noting its torn netting. Behind him came the sound of running feet and Alex turned, frozen in place for a moment as Mulder came out of the mist and stopped ten feet away.

Their eyes met and held, and Alex could read confusion. The audible snap of the paraglider harness buckle slipping into place brought clarity to Mulder's eyes and Alex watched them widen with shocked realization.

I'm sorry, Mulder.

"Alex?"

Alex turned and ran, taking the stairs three at a time as he headed up towards the platform.

"Alex?"

He snapped the remaining harness buckle closed as he ran along the short length of walkway.

"Alex, stop!"

Mulder was right behind him but Alex reached the platform and ran to the edge, leaping up onto the rail.

"Don't Alex!"

Alex threw himself over the edge, his heart pounding in sorrow at the final scream of his name and the brush of Mulder's hand against his lower leg as Mulder almost reached him in time. He pulled on the cord, praying that his leap of faith would be answered and, moments later, he felt the familiar tug as the sail opened and the updraft through the ravine lifted him higher until he was soaring like a bird. Ahead he could see the Pteranodon dropping Eric onto a pillar of rock next to its nest. Half a dozen hungry chicks leaped from the nest and Eric ran, leaping from one rock pillar to the next, trying to beat off the ferocious birdlike creatures that stabbed at him with their long, sharp serrated beaks.

"Eric! Hold on."

Alex swept past the nest, pulling on the guide rope to ease the glider back towards the end of the stone pillars.

"Jump!"

Eric took one final swipe to remove the voracious chicks that were tearing into him, and then ran, leaping into the air and wrapping himself around Alex. Adult Pteranodons dive-bombed them, with their razor sharp talons ripping through the sail. Alex knew he had to get Eric to safety, he let the glider lose altitude, waiting until he was soaring only fifteen feet above a pool of deep water within the shallow river before ordering Eric to let go. The boy dropped into the pool with a loud splash and Alex could only hope he was okay and that none of the Pteranodon dived after him. He led the attacking Pteranodons away but an updraft caught the ripped sail, dashing him against the ravine wall. The sail caught on jagged rock and Alex found he was hanging more than twenty feet above another deep pool. The Pteranodons continued their attack, barely missing Alex as he struggled to release himself from the harness. The last buckle gave way and then he was falling. Cold water closed over his head but the eagle eyed creatures attacked as soon as he surfaced, half dragging him from the pool to the shallower water. Alex gained his feet and ran as fast as he could through the knee deep water.

He cried out in alarm and pain as talons dug into his flesh, his body twisting as he was lifted from the water by the powerful creature. It couldn't hold his weight and he tumbled back into the shallow water. Another Pteranodon swooped down, its sharp beak spearing at him, gouging flesh from his forearm as he raised his arms to try and protect his head.

With shock, Alex saw Mulder racing through the shallow water towards him, and he realised Mulder's intention was to try and save him, but he knew it wasn't possible.

"Get away."

He yelled at Mulder, begging him to find safety as more Pteranodons zeroed in on them with the lure of an easy meal. Suddenly, there was no ground beneath Alex's feet and the swift current swept him away with the Pteranodons still flapping and pecking at his unprotected body. Pain lanced through him as their beaks and talons stabbed into him - and then they were gone, forgetting him momentarily as they turned upon each other. Alex slammed up against a strong mesh that extended both sideways and upwards as far as he could see. He looked back and saw the Pteranodons heading back for him and, taking a deep gulp of air, he dived, using the mesh to pull himself downwards in the hope that there would be a way underneath the fencing. Bubbles of jubilation escaped him and he came back up for precious air to find the Pteranodons screeching at him from the wrong side of the fence.

Alex pulled himself to the shore, lying there for the longest time before he found the strength to move. He ripped up the tattered remnants of his T-shirt and pants to form makeshift bandages around the worst of his injuries. The still functioning part of his shocked mind knew he had lost a lot of blood, but that he had to start moving. He couldn't afford to stay in one place too long, and he knew that he would be better off in the river than on the shore. From the geographical maps of this island that he had glanced at while Mulder slept on the plane, he recalled that the water flowing through this ravine was a back-flow that would meet up with the main river two miles farther downstream. If he could reach the main river then he had a slim chance that the current would take him in the same direction as Mulder and the others. Perhaps he might even catch up with them by the time they reached the coast.

He half crawled, half-staggered a little way along the river bank until he came to a solid piece of trunk that had fetched up there. He used the last of his strength to push it back into the water and then he threw himself on top, camouflaging himself beneath what remained of its foliage.

-ooOOoo-

Mulder stared back as the mist parted to reveal the true magnificence of the birdcage that still held the Pteranodons captive, but his mind was far removed from dinosaurs.

Alex was dead.

His last sight of Alex - a man he could now freely admit to loving - was of him being harried and pecked by the giant flying dinosaurs as the current dragged him away forever. Mulder barely heard the rumble of the engine as Skinner used his little knowledge of boats from fishing trips to get the long-disused engine started. His eyes were stinging, his lips trembling as he recalled the laughing green eyes and beautiful smile Alex would bestow on him... and then he recalled his last words to him. Harsh words.

The scuffle of feet and a softly questioning voice brought him back, and he forced a smile.

"Hey, Eric. How're you doing?"

Mulder sank down onto the deck close to the boy.

"Sorry about Alex."

Mulder knew it wasn't Eric's fault and he patted the boy's knee in quiet reassurance. The rawness of his loss filled him, and he found himself opening up a little to a boy who had been forced to grow up very fast.

"You know what the last thing I said to him was? I said... you're as bad as the people who built this place. Which wasn't true. Alex was just... young."

Thoughts came tumbling through Mulder's head and he allowed some of them to be voiced. The world was divided into those who wanted to be astronomers and those who wanted to be astronauts. The astronauts wanted to touch things but the astronomers - the palaeontologists - sought their answers from relative safety.

"But that means you never get to go into space." Eric looked up as they came out from beneath the canopy of jungle. "Look."

Mulder looked up too, and he shook his head slowly in both wonder and dismay. This is what he had wanted to share with Alex; the graceful beauty of these awe-inspiring creatures not the fear of deadly predators. A Brachiosaurus raised its long neck with interest as it spied the strange creatures floating past it on the river. A pair of Pinacosaurus moved away from the edge, their club-like tails flicking nervously as they eyed the strangers.

"Alex was right."

Mulder looked across, wondering how someone so young could be so wise. Yes. Alex had been right and not all best intentions turned out to be mistakes. With tears prickling at his eyes, Mulder realised that Alex had paid heavily for his rash decision - and so had he in losing Alex. The ache in his chest grew sharper, and Mulder knew that ache would probably remain with him for the rest of his life whether he could count the remainder in minutes or decades.

As the river flowed on beyond the grassland and back under cover of the jungle, Mulder felt the familiar sensation of dusk settling over the world. Last night he had spent the time wondering if Alex was still alive. This night he would mourn his loss, and though he wanted nothing more than to lay down and die, his sense of honor and duty bound him to try and see this reunited family to safety.

-ooOOoo-

Alex opened his eyes to the greyness of a new day dawning. For a moment he was confused, and then he realised that what he could hear was waves washing across a sandy beach. The log had come to ground just short of the beach as the remaining water from this small tributary seeped into the fine sand on its way to join the ocean. He frowned, for less than a foot away was a sodden and battered hat; Mulder's hat. His eyes darted around, almost willing to believe that Mulder was here too, but then he realised Mulder must have lost the hat sometime during the fight with the Pteranodons. He reached out with trembling, blood-caked fingers and drew the hat to him, holding it tight against his chest.

His last clear memory was of draping himself over the log. How long ago had that been? Hours, days? No, it couldn't have been just a few hours for it had still been light then and now it was morning. And it couldn't have been days as he doubted he could have lain here that long on this cursed island without becoming the meal for some meat-eater.

With strength borne out of determination, Alex dragged himself out of the water, beyond the undergrowth and onto the fine sand. He gazed back at the nearby tree line. This place ought to have been a tropical paradise; the kind of place people dreamed of sailing away to, but instead, it was his worst nightmare.

A small hope reared its ugly head in his mind. Mulder had been alive the last time he saw him and so there as a slim chance that he might still be alive. He might even be within calling range but Alex was afraid to make any sound, even if he had the strength to call out.

Time past by so slowly and Alex could feel his body weakening with every moment. He had dragged himself to where the trees cast a shadow, the slight rise giving him a view along the whole stretch of this beach in the hope that he might spot the others should they come this way.

The slashes and stab marks from the Pteranodons had scabbed over but he could feel a queasiness and heat that went beyond the loss of blood and the increasing temperature as the sun rose higher. Some of those wounds, if not all of them, had become infected and, if he did not find help and fresh water soon then he doubted that he would survive through the day.

He chuckled hoarsely. He had a terrible feeling that he would not live long enough to die from these wounds and, sure enough, only a short while later he heard the slightly high pitched call of a small creature. It came out of the undergrowth and stood on a mound maybe five feet from where he lay. It was as small as a chicken, bipedal, with two long fingers ending in sharp claws on its arms. Its snout was long and Alex could see the small, sharp teeth lining its beak.

Compsognathus.

His mind cataloged the creature, recalling the very few fossilized skeletons that had been discovered over the past two centuries. Another thought intruded, from Ian Malcolm's book concerning his ordeal on Isla Sorna. He recalled the start of the book, and the small girl who had been attached by a dozen of these creatures. His eyes flicked sideways as another small head bobbed into his peripheral vision. More high pitched calls followed as two more came closer. The first one darted forward and snapped at his arm, tearing at the scab covering one of the Pteranodon slashes.

Alex cried out feebly and pulled his arm back.

A sharp pain at the back of his thigh made him kick out weakly, his booted foot catching one of the small creatures. And then they were on him, maybe a dozen of them with their sharp beaks and claws tearing into him, reopening old wounds and inflicting new ones. One stabbed at his throat. He tried to roll up into a ball in some small hope it could protect him, being too weak to climb to his feet and try to outrun his attackers.

Suddenly, the sharp stabbing stopped and he saw the creatures scattering, heading back into the cover of the trees. There was a rumbling sound in the distance and then a dark shape loomed over him and Alex cried out in fear that he had exchanged being the meal of the Compies for being the meal of some larger predator. It dropped down beside him then called out... in English.

"Over here!"

More dark shapes raced into view and then he was being gently turned over. Tears of relief flowed freely, blurring his vision until he could see nothing at all.

"It's okay. You're safe now. We've got you."

He refused to let go of Mulder's hat, not even for a moment, and they gave into his frantic cries and let him keep it. They lifted him gently onto a stretcher and carried him back to the waiting helicopter. He barely uttered a single sound as someone stripped off the remaining bloodied rags he had used for bandages, not even aware of the IV needle inserted and taped to his arm. Two front-line medics worked over him swiftly, doing enough to stabilize him until they could get him to a cleaner and more equipped facility. The fresh wounds from the Compsognathus were cleaned and lightly bandaged but, when he looked down, he could see blood already seeping through from the re-opened lacerations on his arm. He closed his eyes, breathing in the smell of aviation fuel and plastic mingled with the scent of fresh human sweat. Two days ago he would have wrinkled his nose up in disgust but, today, it was the best smell he had ever come across.

The helicopter left the ground as soon as he was brought on-board, but he felt it dropping again, a slight bump trembling through the craft as it touched down. Above the sound of the rotor blades scything through the air, he thought he heard Mulder's name. There was movement next to him and he gazed up through pain-filled eyes.

"Hey, you made it."

Mulder's lips were moving but no sound came from them. Mulder reached out and Alex felt warm fingers stroking his cheek.

"I rescued your hat."

"Dr. Mulder. We need to go now."

Mulder glanced over his left shoulder along the length of the transport helicopter then back down at Alex. Alex could see Mulder had so much he wanted to say to him but here was not the time. Mulder took his hat in both hands, glancing down at it as he gripped the rim tightly.

"Well, that's the important thing."

"Dr. Mulder?"

Mulder moved away with one last tremulous smile and Alex lay back, feeling the vibration within the helicopter increase as the rotors began to rotate faster. A sudden lurch and then they were in the air leaving Isla Sorna far behind. A smile played at his lips as he closed his eyes and allowed the rhythmic thump of the blades to lull him into much needed sleep.

-ooOOoo-

Epilogue:

Except for those first few hours following their rescue, Mulder had not seen much of Alex over the past three weeks. The medics had taken Alex directly to the ship's infirmary where they gave him a blood transfusion and thoroughly cleaned and bandaged his wounds. Mulder had insisted on sitting close to him while his own scrapes and cuts were treated, watching as Alex fell into a drug-induced sleep.

Long, dark eyelashes swept the pale cheeks, his bloodless lips slightly parted to reveal a hint of teeth. He looked so small and vulnerable swathed in white bandages that seemed to encase him from head to toe like a modern day mummy.

They were all given shots of strong antibiotics to combat any infection they might have picked up. After that there had been questions. What were they doing on the island? Why had they gone there? What had they seen and done?

What had happened to the others?

And during the initial stages of questioning, Mulder had been granted a few minutes to say goodbye to Alex. Alex's injuries required more extensive treatment than the medical staff could provide on the ship so the Navy placed him back on a helicopter headed for the nearest military hospital.

Mulder picked up a toothbrush and gently swept along the edge of the exposed fossilized bone, brushing away rock that was not part of the remains. He was the only one still working on the site -the rest having packed up their belongings and left once the money for the dig ran out. Of course, most of them had been students anyway, who needed to return to the classroom.

He grinned wryly to himself. Even after his recent ordeal, he still considered the dinosaurs created by Hammond and Ingen to be theme park monsters. However, he knew there was enough truth within them to give pointers on what to look for in the fossilized remains of the true ones that had lived millions of years ago.

He stopped to reflect on something Eric had said to him while they were holed up in the tanker truck over night. The boy had read both of his books but had preferred the first.

"You didn't like dinosaurs very much when you wrote the second one."

The first book had been a series of theories on dinosaur behavior. He had theorized that many of the herbivores had grazed in vast herds, protecting both themselves and their young by sheer numbers, just as the antelope and zebra still did on the Serengeti today. And that not all meat-eaters were solitary predators. He had postulated that some worked in packs like lionesses or wolves.

Partial answers to the questions he had raised in his first book had come from his observations on Isla Nubla - at John Hammond's Jurassic Park. However, his feelings had been tainted by the reawakening of the most basic of human instincts; the fear of being eaten alive. He had forgotten the true majesty of the Brachiosaurus and the massive herds of Corythosaurus moving gracefully across grazing land. Even the Velociraptor, Tyrannosaurus Rex and Spinosaurus were magnificent creatures that had to be admired the same way a marine biologist marveled at the sleekness and power of the Great White and Hammerhead shark.

Mulder had already started on a new book incorporating all he had seen and learned from the dinosaurs on Isla Sorna. He had yet to approach his publishing agent, and he wondered if they would be interested enough to pay him some money upfront. Only one thing stopped him from asking and that was a wish that he could write this book as a collaboration - with Alex Krycek.

He snorted softly. He was willing to try more than an offer of a book collaboration if it would bring Alex back by his side. He'd be willing to attend another of those damn symposiums and spend the whole lecture telling the audience blood curdling stories of what happened to him and the other unfortunate humans at Jurassic Park and on Isla Sorna. He would even be willing to contact Ian Malcolm for more insight on the dinosaurs he had encountered on Isla Sorna. And on the San Diego incident where a Tyrannosaurus ran amok and ate at least five of the city's inhabitants before it was lured back to the docks and then shipped back to Isla Sorna.

"I'd even offer you all my salary, Alex, if it meant you'd come back here."

The slamming of a truck door caught his attention and Mulder looked up, shielding his eyes from the low lying sun. A man's figure was silhouetted against the fiery backdrop and Mulder could only hold his breath as he recognized him.

"Dr. Mulder?"

The sound of his name galvanized him into action and he leaped to his feet, his long legs carrying him swiftly towards the rise. Alex met him at the base and Mulder grabbed the younger man, pulling him into his arms and laughing loudly.

"Alex."

He drew back slightly, just far enough away so he could see the green eyes that had haunted his dreams, instead of the Raptors, these past few weeks. And then Mulder threw any remaining caution to the four winds and kissed Alex soundly. Alex froze in his arms, body going rigid in surprise, and then he melted against Mulder, his firm lips softening as he deepened the kiss with a ferocity of his own.

Hands dragged at each other, raking through hair and stroking down the length of arched backs to the swell of ass cheeks below. They pulled each other in closer, grinding the hardness of swollen flesh against firm abdomens.

Alex moaned deeply, appreciatively, as Mulder eased a hand between them to rub across the hardened mass at Alex's groin. He dragged his mouth from the enticing lips and nuzzled the vulnerable column of Alex's throat, then whispered raggedly into one almost elfin-shaped ear.

"Alex. I'm sorry... and I want you."

Alex pulled back, with his face flushed with desire, his green eyes glittering with need and his lips flushed and bruised from their kisses. Strands of dark hair fell in disarray over his tall forehead and Mulder leaned in to place a soft kiss on the slightly upturned tip of his nose. He knew he must look just as disheveled, and he could see motes of dust dancing and swirling in the air around them that had been shaken loose from his hair and clothing.

Alex glanced up, meaningfully, to the single remaining tent and, hand in hand, they climbed back to the top of the rise. Once inside the sleeping chamber, Mulder pulled Alex back into his arms and kissed him gently. His body was trembling, his muscles quivering in need but Mulder wanted to savor this moment. Soft lips nuzzled at his throat, nipping gently and sucking, sending fresh flames of passion licking through his veins. Mulder pulled the dark green T-shirt from the waistband of Alex's tight black jeans, pushing his hands beneath the material so he could slide his hands along warm flesh. He could feel small ridges and bumps where there ought to be smooth flesh and tried not to think of the scars Alex must be carrying since Isla Sorna. Mulder stepped back and pushed up the T-shirt until he had revealed the almost hairless chest. He leaned in to suckle on one exposed nipple, teeth catching around the tightened nub and tongue swiping across the sensitive tip. Alex shuddered delightfully, with soft moans of pleasure falling from him. His hands flexed upon Mulder's shoulders as he submitted to the onslaught to his senses.

He gasped as Mulder reached down to release the button on his jeans, swiftly lowering the zip. Mulder dropped slowly to his knees, his lips worshiping Alex as they anointed warm flesh with passion inflamed kisses. He held Alex tightly by the hips as he sucked on the hard column of sex through the thin cotton briefs, salty precome mixing with his saliva and making him hungry for much more. His hands hooked inside the waistband of the jeans and dragged them downwards, over the lean hips and swell of ass to pool at Alex's still booted feet. The briefs followed, trapping Alex's strong legs in shackles of cotton while Mulder delicately caught a droplet of passion beading on the firm head of the proud shaft. His tongue swirled over the head, swiping along the slit before he opened his mouth to suck in as much as he could of the hard flesh.

Alex bucked sharply but Mulder had a firm hold on his hips. He held Alex in place while he sucked and licked at the sensitive flesh, accepting and swallowing the creamy fluid that jetted into his mouth as Alex tumbled over the edge into ecstasy.

Alex's weight came to rest on Mulder's shoulders and, with great reluctance, he released the softening shaft with a final satisfying lick as Alex's knees buckled. Mulder wrapped his arms around his pleasure-sated lover and lowered Alex to the tent floor. Passion-soaked eyes watched him as Mulder unzipped his jeans to release his burgeoning erection from its tight denim prison.

"Want you, Alex... and not just for this. Want you for everything in my life."

"Sounds like a good deal to me."

Mulder grinned. He reached down and worked off Alex's boots, jeans and briefs. Momentarily, his eyes lingered on the fresh scar tissue that ranged across Alex's firm young flesh, knowing he was seeing the injuries inflicted by both the Pteranodons and the Compsognathus. He leaned down and kissed one prominent scar, smiling when Alex writhed and chuckled.

"It tickles."

The scars only made Alex even more beautiful in his eyes -because he was alive; they were both alive. He kissed several others, in benediction - before drawing back to gaze down at the beautiful body splayed out before him.

"I want you... but it's been a long time since I..."

"Like riding a bike, Mulder."

Mulder grinned. "You calling yourself a bike?"

Alex chuckled softly; a warm, vibrant sound that sent fresh licks of desire flickering through Mulder.

"Just do it, Mulder."

Mulder's eyes fixed on the hand lotion he had placed on a makeshift cabinet, and he snatched it up, digging out a generous amount of slippery cream and let the rest of the bottle drop to the floor. He looked down at Alex and saw him smiling softly, with love and desire shining in his passion-darkened eyes. Mulder leaned down and kissed those smiling, bruised lips, only pulling back when Alex shifted beneath him. Alex turned over, drawing in his knees to offer himself fully to Mulder, knowing it might be easier this way for both of them - especially this first time.

Mulder's lotion-slicked fingers teased between the ass cheeks, lightly trailing over the puckered muscle and along the perineum. He squeezed the softly furred sacs in his other hand, rolling the contents carefully and drawing hisses of pleasure from Alex. One finger rimmed the exposed hole, feeling the strong muscle clench and release around it as he pushed gently inside. His finger worked deep inside, rubbing against the muscled inner wall, seeking the small bulge that would bring Alex even greater pleasure. His other hand wrapped around the slowly engorging shaft, sliding from base to crown over and over as a second then a third finger thrust deep into Alex. Moans of delight echoed around him as Alex pushed back onto Mulder's fingers, sharper cries falling as those fingers found that special gland and rubbed the sensitive prostate.

A cry of loss filled the small tent and Mulder stroked along the exposed back in reassurance as he replaced his fingers with the blunt head of his erection. Muscles clenched tightly around him as Mulder pushed inside the lotion-slicked hole, and he gasped as the fresh sensation almost overwhelmed his senses. He held still, wanting to calm his own raging body as well as allow Alex to adjust to his possession. When he knew he was ready, Mulder thrust in hard while pulling back on Alex's hips at the same time, embedding himself deeply.

"Oh God, Alex."

He leaned forward and kissed a small scar on Alex's back. Suddenly, he wanted to touch every scar, wanted to kiss away every remnant of pain and replace every terrifying shred of memory with sweet sensations. Mulder pulled out and then thrust back into the welcoming body, his hand sliding along Alex's shaft in perfect synchronization. He could feel the strong internal muscles clench around him tightly, trying to hold him inside. Mulder kissed another scar, withdrew and thrust back hard, and then kissed another scar, finally sucking hard upon the ragged scar from a Pteranodon claw just beneath the shoulder. He recalled the horrifying sight of the Pteranodon lifting Alex high into the air before Alex twisted free and plummeted back to Earth. His kiss upon that scarred flesh soothed his mind, sending him joyous remembrance that they were here, together, and alive.

Mulder came hard, emptying his life force into this most precious body. His senses heightened exponentially, spiraling upwards to heaven itself as he gave thanks for Alex's continuing life - and the second chance they had been given.

Warmth coated his fingers and he heard a triumphant shout as Alex found new release, and Mulder hugged the strong body tightly, laying his head upon the broad back and taking renewed pleasure in the rapid heartbeat hammering beneath him. His rapidly softening shaft slipped from its lotion and semen-slicked sheath, and Mulder twisted to one side, drawing Alex into his arms. He nuzzled the sweat-dampened hair and kissed the nape of Alex's neck as his hands gently stroked the still trembling body.

Many minutes past before Alex rolled over in his arms to face Mulder. His eyes were still shining but Mulder could see the lids were heavy with exhaustion as those long, dark lashes fluttered. A sated smile played upon the plumped lips, broken only when Alex yawned. Mulder whispered into the shell of one ear.

"Are you doing anything... for the rest of your life?"

A lazy smile curled up the corners of the tempting mouth.

"Yeah, got this dusty old Paleontologist whose bones I'd like to jump.. for the rest of my life."

Mulder laughed. He dragged the sleeping bag from the top of the nearby camp bed and draped it over their mostly naked forms. Then he wrapped himself around his new lover, unwilling to ever let go of Alex again. As he let his eyes close, intending to follow Alex down into sleep, his memory returned to those words spoken only a month ago.

No force on Earth or Heaven would get me on that island.

He smiled, thanking whatever force had worked upon him, that he had been wrong, for if he had never gone to Isla Sorna, then he might never have found the courage to reach out to Alex. And the knowledge of what he might never have known was far worse than any nightmare he had faced in Jurassic Park.

THE END

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


End file.
